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| The Internet Marketing Tools Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | Just One Page Tool | Views: 819 | Oct 14, 2005 5:16 pm | | Just One Page Tool | # | Kurt Schweitzer | | All,
I'm working on a little tool that would provide visitors with limited access to certain pages on my website. They would be able to access any restricted page, but only one of them. If they try to access additional pages they would instead be presented with a form that encourages them to sign up for my newsletter.
Once they sign up for the newsletter they would be able to access all of the pages.
This acts like a membership site, except:
1) An anonymous visitor will be able to access ANY page without signing in. They will only be required to sign in if they wish to go to a second page.
2) This will be completely transparent to search engines, so that ALL of the pages can be indexed and used as entry points into the site.
My question to the group is how to word the sign-up form. It will be a surprise to the visitor (they will be expecting to go to an informative page, but will be presented with the form instead) so it should probably be somewhat apologetic, but at the same time persuasive. I'm thinking something like "We're glad you're finding our website useful. Please give us your email address so that we can inform you of new information, as well as allowing you access to the page you requested." The form would then request their name and email address. Once it was submitted they'd be able to roam the site at will.
If they don't provide the information, they won't be able to access the additional pages. (No, this is not a "hacker proof" arrangement. I'm not really trying to protect the information - I'm trying to "strongly encourage" them to give me their email address.)
Any wordsmiths out there who can help me be "stubbornly persuasive"?
Kurt Schweitzer Sound and Loving Care (http://soundandlovingcare.com) - helping family caregivers of dementia patients keep their loved ones happy at home.Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer | Oct 14, 2005 8:17 pm | | re: Just One Page Tool | # | Garland Coulson | | Hi Kurt,
Your wording is very good - perhaps the best possible under the
circumstances.
I'm just not sure that this method would work well. I don't mind
signing up for a free e-book, guide or video, but I wouldn't want to click on an
area that says it will provide the information and then be asked for an email to
see the page. On my site, I give away some e-books. The link on the
home page takes them to a more in-depth page about the e-book along with a
signup form. This approach works great for me with 10 to 15 signups per
day.
I think I would be put off by an approach like this.
Garland Coulson, "The E-Business Tutor"
Market while you surf!
FREE Traffic and Research Toolbar for FireFox and Internet Explorer
http://www.freetrafficbar.com
Moderator, Internet Marketing Tools
Private Reply to Garland Coulson | Oct 15, 2005 4:12 am | | re: re: Just One Page Tool | # | Kurt Schweitzer | | Garland,
The particular situation is one where a collection of problem solutions are being offered, which are extracted from a package being sold by the site. The visitor is expected to be attracted by the offer of a solution to their #1 problem, which we will give them free.
However, in our case most people who have any one of the problems also have several of the others. Once they've gotten one problem solved, they will probably want to get solutions to the others. At that point we want something from them - their email address.
The goal of my software is to offer free samples without giving away the entire store. It just so happens that I can set the number of freebies to be more than just one, so we can try different values to figure out the optimal amount to give away before demanding something in return.
Note also that this won't be on every page of the site - only those containing detailed solutions to specific problems.
(By the way, the information we're providing isn't available elsewhere on the Web. Not that it isn't known - healthcare professionals have known it for years - but nobody has bothered to translate it for the layman and put it on the Web before now. We want to take advantage of this situation while it exists.)
Anyway, the wording I'm going with is "We're glad you're finding our website useful. To continue, please give us your email address so that we can inform you of new information, as well as allowing you access to the page you requested." Then the form collects the email address, kicks it out to EZEzine to add to the newsletter list, and on return gives them access to the pages.
Think this will work?
Kurt Schweitzer Sound and Loving Care (http://soundandlovingcare.com) - Helping family caregivers of dementia patients keep their loved ones happy at home.Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer | Oct 15, 2005 4:58 pm | | re: Just One Page Tool | # | Garland Coulson | | Hi Kurt,
The wording is good, just not sure how your target audience will react.
How will you still allow search engines to index the content if you are blocking access until an email address is provided?
Garland Coulson, "The E-Business Tutor" Market while you surf! FREE Traffic and Research Toolbar for FireFox and Internet Explorer http://www.freetrafficbar.com Moderator, Internet Marketing Tools
Private Reply to Garland Coulson | Oct 15, 2005 9:48 pm | | re: re: Just One Page Tool | # | Kurt Schweitzer | | Garland,
The blocking mechanism is implemented via JavaScript and cookies. Anyone who has those disabled (such as search engines) will be able to access the site unhindered. Most people, however, typically leave those enabled, so they will be blocked.
I SAID it wasn't hacker proof! I'm not trying to lock this stuff down, just encourage more sign-ups!
Kurt Schweitzer Sound and Loving Care (http://soundandlovingcare.com) - Helping family caregivers of dementia patients keep their loved ones happy at home.Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer | Oct 18, 2005 1:38 pm | | re: re: re: Just One Page Tool | # | Kurt Schweitzer | | Ha!
I KNEW someone else was doing this!
A friend of mine sent me this link to a NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/magazine/16guru.html. This is a six-page article, but the NY Times only allows you access to five pages before you have to register. You can burn through your five pages by reloading the same page five times.
The registration is free - they just want to capture your email address.
Do you still think this is too coercive?
Kurt Schweitzer Sound and Loving Care (http://soundandlovingcare.com) - Helping you care for someone whose memory and thinking ability are deteriorating.Private Reply to Kurt Schweitzer | Oct 18, 2005 4:31 pm | | re: Just One Page Tool | # | Garland Coulson | | Hi Kurt,
I might give my email address for a site I truly liked and felt comfortable with. The NY Times is a well-known site, but I still wouldn't have given my email address just to read more articles.
But I regularly give my email address to download software and e-books I want to review.
Just my opinion and my own feelings may not represent those of your target audience.
Garland Coulson, "The E-Business Tutor" Market while you surf! FREE Traffic and Research Toolbar for FireFox and Internet Explorer http://www.freetrafficbar.com Moderator, Internet Marketing Tools
Private Reply to Garland Coulson | |
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